Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome confirmed Wednesday that kicker 
Tucker is a pending unrestricted free agent, but he won’t hit the market.
“We’ve had some [contract] discussions, but we will franchise Justin if we do not get a deal done,” Newsome said. “Even if we do franchise him, we will continue to work to get a deal done.”
That means the Ravens have to reach a new contract agreement within a week or they will place the tag on Tucker. Teams must assign the franchise tag by March 1 at 4 p.m.
Tucker would reportedly cost about $4.5 million if he plays the season under the franchise tag, which basically takes the average of the top-five salaries at the position.
Placing the tag on Tucker could also just buy the two sides more time to hammer out a deal.
If Tucker signs a long-term deal with the Ravens, it could be in the neighborhood of the contract inked by Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski last offseason, which was reportedly $17.2 million for four years. Gostkowski is the highest paid kicker in the league.
"At this juncture, I’m kind of letting it all just unfold how it’s going to unfold, and I’m optimistic that something will get done," Tucker said just after the season ended.
Although his field-goal percentage dropped to a career-low 82.5 percent last season, Tucker was rated as the best kicker in the league last year by Pro Football Focus (PFF).
Over his four years in Baltimore, he’s been clutch, reliable and a beloved part of the locker room and community. Tucker is the second-most accurate kicker in NFL history and limits opponents’ return game with his long kickoffs.
